Detox Your Thoughts: Quit Negative Self-Talk for Good and Discover the Life You've Always Wanted

by Andrea Bonior PhD

Overview

Ditch the 10 mental traps that are making you feel anxious and insecure!

Toxic thought patterns zap your energy, kill your motivation, and upset your calm. The good news is that you can change not just the way you think, but the way your brain is wired. In Detox Your Thoughts, clinical psychologist Andrea Bonior uses techniques from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and mindfulness to teach you to understand your thoughts—and your body—in a completely different way. For each of the 10 mental traps, Bonior uses the latest research in psychology and neuroscience to help you disempower and conquer self-sabotaging thoughts and offers a new habit to practice with specific and actionable steps. Negative thoughts will never go away completely, but with this book, you will learn how to eclipse them, improve your mental and emotional health, and change your life.

The perfect book for:

• Inspiration, self-help, motivation, and happiness seekers
• Anyone looking for practical solutions to turn post-traumatic stress into post-traumatic growth
• Fans of the Washington Post and The Lily "Baggage Check" column
• Fans of Buzzfeed/Goodful articles and challenges
• People who read Psychology Today and Science of Us

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452184876
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	05/05/2020
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,016,271
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dr. Andrea Bonior is the psychologist behind the popular "Baggage Check" advice column and live chat for the Washington Post and The Lily. Her "Detox Your Thoughts" challenge for BuzzFeed went viral, and her PsychologyToday.com blog has garnered more than 13 million views. She has been interviewed by NPR, Today, and Good Morning America, and has been published by the New York Times, USA Today, Glamour, Self, and Refinery29. A sought-after speaker, she serves on the faculty of Georgetown University. She lives the Washington D.C. area.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I Your Mind

1 You Believe That Every Thought Deserves Power 13

2 You Pit Your Body Against Your Mind 35

3 You Hold On When You Need to Let Go 63

Part II Your Moment

4 You're Blind to Your Blind Spots 83

5 You Run from Discomfort 105

Part III Your Heart

6 You Chase Pleasure and Miss Out on Meaning 133

7 You Seek Approval Over Connection 151

8 You've Absorbed False Meanings for Gratitude and Forgiveness 171

Part IV Your Future

9 You Give Too Much Power to "Willpower" and "Goals" 191

10 You Buy Into the Myth of Arrival 213

Putting It All Together 233

Acknowledgments 237

Notes 241

About the Author 247

Editorial Reviews

★ 03/16/2020

Psychologist Bonior (Psychology), who writes the Baggage Check column for the Washington Post, dazzles in this smart, sensible guide to vanquishing negative thoughts. The key step for changing internal dialogue, she argues, is making thoughts less “sticky” by realizing that not every thought should be given equal power. “Negative thoughts don’t cause depression and anxiety disorders—it’s when such thoughts become sticky that they can grow into depression and anxiety disorders,” she writes before offering an easy strategy to dispel them—acknowledge the troubling thought, label it, remind oneself to give space to the thought, ground oneself in the present moment, and visualize the thought passing. She teaches readers to let go of intrusive negative trains of thought—particularly ruminating on the past and thinking about how the world should be rather than how it is—and outlines how to see one’s blind spots and confront one’s discomfort. In an empathetic tone, Bonior invites readers to celebrate even the smallest steps as they seek greater self-compassion. This witty, wise handbook’s outstanding blueprint for achieving lasting happiness will be of aid to any reader prone to self-doubt. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Andrea Bonior has written a powerful guide to help you overcome the destructive mental chatter that can block you from bliss. This book provides a clear road map to free up the mental space so you can pursue what's truly meaningful." -Shannon Kaiser author of The Self-Love Experiment and Joy Seeker

"With compassion and humor, Dr. Bonior brings the art and science of therapy to the page and guides us toward real change. A must-read for anyone ready for true transformation." -Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

"Whether you struggle with regret or you seek approval from others, Detox Your Thoughts will help you find the peace of mind you need to get unstuck." -Amy Morin, psychotherapist and author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do

"Detox Your Thoughts gives you permission to feel your emotions-be they fuzzy or frenzied-and provides the tools to work with and through them. This is a funny, down-to-earth read that helps you transform self-doubt into self-assurance one thought at a time."-Monica Sweeney, bestselling author of Zen as F*ck

"In Detox Your Thoughts, Andrea Bonior brings you a slate of modern and proven methods to help you back up from toxic thoughts, show up to what is present, and get moving toward what you really want. Accessible, friendly, balanced, and wise, this well written book should be on your nightstand." -Steven C. Hayes, author of A Liberated Mind and Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life

"Bonior dazzles in this smart, sensible guide to vanquishing negative thoughts.. This witty, wise handbook's outstanding blueprint for achieving lasting happiness will be of aid to any reader prone to self-doubt." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

From the Publisher

★ 05/01/2020

If you can't change your situation, you can always change your thoughts about it. So says licensed clinical psychologist Bonoir, who writes to those whose worried, negative thoughts get in the way of their moods, relationships, and work. Using cognitive behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapies, Bonoir offers tools and techniques for overcoming common mental traps, such as thoughts that urge one to run from discomfort, seek approval over connection, and buy into the myth of arrival. She supports these suggestions through life stories, self-assessments, and practices that help readers neutralize the effects of stress, contradict negative thoughts, and build better habits. VERDICT Bonoir synthesizes psychological concepts into understandable suggestions certain to help any reader reclaim a healthy state of thinking.

Library Journal